Dancing
by leonettetyrell
Summary: Arthur and Ariande's moments throughout the years, mainly told through dances.
1. Chapter 1

The warehouse was unusually quiet. Ariadne had gone out for coffee, Cobb and Eames were currently following their mark's fiancée to find out her habits, and Yusuf was on a hunt for certain chemicals. Arthur was all alone; it was just him and his laptop. He was trying to research the mark, but he just couldn't focus.

Arthur exhaled and sat back slowly in his chair. He decided to go check out Ariadne's current model of the dreamscape; maybe it would help him get back to work. When he went into her space, he heard some music playing. Arthur smiled to himself. It was just like Ariadne to leave her iPod on shuffle when she went out.

Arthur shuffled over to the model, and, as always, his breath was taken away. She had created a beautiful park, just like the one where the mark had proposed to his girlfriend. The flowers were in bloom, the benches were perfectly sculpted, and Arthur could see the maze of hedges she had created. He was really impressed by this one; he himself wanted to go in it with…well, he wanted someone to hold his hand as he strolled through it.

Suddenly, Arthur heard an upbeat song coming from Ariadne's speakers. It took him a minute to figure out what song it was, but he grinned from ear to ear when he did. The song was Teddy Pendergrass's Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose. Arthur hadn't heard this tune in years! He couldn't resist himself- he just started dancing around the warehouse. Nobody was watching anyway.

"This may be the most fun I've had in years," Arthur thought to himself as he danced. For once, he didn't worry about his enemies, or the mark, or even the team. He just let the music dictate his movements; he was careless. Naturally, he didn't hit anything, or weeks of work could be lost, but he just danced around the warehouse. The song was reaching its end, and so Arthur ended with turning around stylishly- right as Ariadne was entering the warehouse.

The tune ended, and the only sound heard in the warehouse was the sound of four coffee cups hitting the floor and their contents spilling out.

"Arthur…" Ariadne sputtered, "you were…you were…_dancing?_"

Arthur just smiled. "Now whatever made you think that, Ariadne? Now, let's clean up this mess," he said.

"O-o, okay…" was the only response he got.

As Arthur and Ariadne were mopping up the coffee that was on the floor, Arthur made a mental note to thank her later for leaving her iPod playing.

And maybe he'll ask her to dance with him.

**Fin**

**A/N**: This was inspired by a meme, of all things. Should I continue with more moments of a relaxed Arthur? Let me know, and review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **What began as a one-shot is now becoming a multi-chaptered story. Enjoy, and maybe even review! Also, if you haven't heard the song used in this chapter, definitely listen to it!

Disclaimer: If I owned Inception, Arthur would dance more often.

Ariadne had a hard time believing she saw Arthur dancing. He was _Arthur_; if it had been Eames or even Yusuf, she wouldn't have batted an eyelash. And she definitely didn't believe him when he told her he hadn't been. Arthur may have secrets, but she never thought he would lie. Lying, Ariadne was convinced, was not an action the point man was capable of.

So she was really surprised when he came into her work space and thanked her for leaving her iPod on. Arthur told her because she did, he had enjoyed himself for once in his life. He then proceeded to pick up her iPod and scroll through her songs.

"Arthur, what are you doing?" Ariadne asked.

Arthur smiled, and then said: "I am about to ask a beautiful woman to dance with me".

Train's Marry Me came on through her speakers.

"Ariadne, will you dance with me?"

Ariadne was dumbfounded, but nodded yes nonetheless. Arthur pulled her close to him, and he swayed with her to the music. Ariadne got over her shock, and twirled away from him. He laughed, then twirled her back to him. She was trying hard not to think about the content of the song; she and Arthur weren't even dating, though she knew she loved him. Plus, he had just called her beautiful. Arthur, similarly, was regretting that Ariadne was not his. Architects did not deserve boring point men, he thought. However, he also had an inkling that if he told her that thought, she would tell him that he was being ridiculous.

Arthur was feeling rather emboldened; showing your fun side to a teammate tends to do that to a person. So, when Ariadne was close to him again, he whispered into her ear.

"This is far more enjoyable than dancing with myself. Thank you".

And all Ariadne could muster was a "You're welcome".

In her head, she was thinking that this dance with Arthur was the most enjoyable experience she'd ever had- in both reality and the dreamscape.

The song ended and the two broke apart. Arthur looked at Ariadne, and asked:

"Can we go see your garden?"

And, knowing exactly what he meant, Ariadne nodded yes.


	3. Chapter 3

Ariadne was definitely surprised in this change in Arthur. She had never seen the point man relaxed. Yet, even though she considered the possibility that she was dreaming, she didn't consult her bishop.

"So what if it is a dream?" Ariadne muttered out loud to herself. "I kinda like that Arthur is dancing with me. I'd rather have it stay this way then wake up if I am dreaming".

She knew that thought was dangerous, but she didn't care anyway. She was beginning to think that a dream life with Arthur could be far better than reality.

Ariadne was woken from her reverie by Arthur's voice:

"Ariadne, are you ready to go into the dream?"

_If I'm not already_, she thought. Aloud, she said "Yes. Let's go".

As they prepped their PASIVs, Ariadne had one last thought:

_This time, I'll be the one to kiss him._

"Arthur! Where are you hiding? We only have ten minutes left!"

Silence.

Ariadne could not believe that everything was not going according to plan. Even though she was not the plan maker- he was- she had visions of how things should go.

During her fuming rage, Ariadne didn't notice Arthur coming up behind her. Suddenly, she felt arms wrapping around her and a voice in her ear whispering to her:  
"You're angry at me, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm observant".

She snickered. "Clearly. Now, why are your arms around me?"

"You can't run away from me as easily, darling".

"Darling? Since when have you become Eames?"

"Ouch. Never compare me to him. Annoying little…"

"I'm sorry Arthur, were your feelings hurt?"

"Yes".

"Good. Now you know how I've felt for the past twenty-five minutes."

"Oh really?" Arthur breathed into her ear.

Ariadne couldn't take it anymore. She spun around in Arthur's arms and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Yes, really".

The tension between the two was thick. Neither of them moved for a few minutes. Then:

"Damnit, Arthur, you drive me crazy sometimes, you know that?"

And then she kissed him.

And it was sweet and it felt right and it was so much better than their first kiss and-

_Non, je ne regrette rien_.

The voice of Edith Pilaf awoke the pair from their dream. Both of them sat in silence in the lawn chairs for a couple minutes, but it felt like a lifetime to both of them. Arthur finally looked over at Ariande and was bold enough to speak.

"Your garden was beautiful, you know".

"I know".

_Ariadne, you're beautiful too,_ Arthur thought. Instead, he spoke French.

"Je regrette rien".

Ariadne spoke broken French, but she knew enough to translate what he said.

"You regret everything? Our first kiss, coming into the dream with me, letting me kiss you again?"

Arthur groaned, then brushed a hair behind Ariadne's ears.

"Ariadne, you didn't let me finish. Now I'll finish in French".

"Fine".

"Mais, je suis heureux parce que tu m'aimes. Je ne regrette que je ne vois pas plus tôt ."

"What did you just say to me? It sounds good, I want it to be good, but…"

Ariadne quickly shut up when she realized she was thinking aloud.

Arthur just smiled. "But, I am happy because you like me. I only regret that I didn't see it sooner".

"Arthur, you know there's a mistake in there, right?"

"There is? I thought I translated perfectly."

"You probably did. But I don't like you".

Arthur tried to hide his hurt. "You don't?"

Now it was Ariadne's turn to smile. "Nope. I think I love you. Now come here!"

And that was how Arthur and Ariadne had their third kiss. Ariadne thought to herself that maybe she would consult her bishop later- if it was reality, it might work out somehow.

At some point Cobb walked into the warehouse and thought to himself:

_It's about frickin' time!_

**A/N:** Well, I promised you all another chapter, and here it is! Is this the end? Do you want more sap? (Trust me, I've got more) The decision is in your hands…but only if you review! So do so, lovelies!

Oh, and if you wanted another song in this chapter, sorry. I totally stole from Inception (note: Not. Mine.) I'll recommend listening material, though: Us by Regina Spektor. Any Regina Spektor, for that matter.


	4. Chapter 4

A year had passed since Arthur and Ariadne's fateful trip into the dreamscape together.  
Yes, they fought occasionally, but that was often due to the exhaustion and stress their current job gave them.  
Neither of them would trade their partner for anyone else in the world- as the saying goes, they had found their other half.

So it was no surprise to Cobb when Arthur came to him looking for advice about purchasing an engagement ring.  
He had watched their relationship from the very first day, and he was probably the third happiest person when they finally got together.

And so it follows that Cobb was more than willing to dispense words of wisdom to Arthur.

"The ring shouldn't be too flashy- Ariadne doesn't seem to be the kind of person to like that".

"When you propose, be slightly romantic, Arthur. Ladies really like it when you get down on one knee and pull out the velvet box".

Arthur had to interject at one point:

"Cobb, when will I know that it's the right time to propose to her?"

Cobb thought on this for a few minutes, and then replied:

"Arthur, when I was getting ready to propose to Mal, I thought of all the things that made our relationship unique. How she loved the water. How snow meant so much to her.  
So when I proposed, I drove her for an hour and a half in wintertime to a frozen over lake while it was snowing. In hindsight, singing "Let it Snow" to her while offering up the ring may have been the better option. Either way, Arthur, your proposal has got to be thoughtful and unique.  
You're pledging to spend the rest of your life with someone, and you need to show her that you'll pay attention to her forever and always".

Arthur just nodded, and said:

"Thank you Cobb. I think I know exactly what I'm going to do".

* * *

Arthur and Ariadne were sitting at a table in one of Rome's most upscale restaurants. Arthur had cited the need for doing research on their mark, and he wanted her to come with him.

"No reason we can't do two things at once, right? Dinner and research- best date night you'll ever have, I reckon?"

Ariadne just laughed and agreed- any time with Arthur was valuable to her.

Suddenly, Arthur announced that he had to go to the bathroom- he'd be back in a few minutes.  
Ariadne nodded, and said she'd be right here.

Five minutes had passed, when over the intercom, Ariadne heard her name:

"Ariadne, to the dance floor, please. Again, Ariadne, to the dance floor".

And she had no choice but to do as the voice told her.

* * *

Ariadne wasn't surprised to see Arthur on the dance floor. She suspected that he was getting a dancing fever again- what better way to cure it than on date night.

That didn't explain why Falling Slowly by the Frames came on. Ariadne loved that song; she wasn't complaining.  
But it was a little slow for this restaurant, in her opinion.  
Well, she decided, it didn't matter why it was playing. It just mattered that it was.

Arthur held out his hand to her, and smiling, Ariadne took it, and the two began to dance.

Ariadne missed dancing with him; he had been very focused on their jobs lately, and they didn't have enough free time.  
She thought back to that day in the warehouse where she had first caught Arthur dancing.

_Non, je ne regrette rien. _

She regretted nothing. And she knew in her heart of hearts that Arthur didn't either.

Just as she finished musing, Arthur whispered in her ear:

"There's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time, Ariadne".

And with that, he broke away from her, got down on one knee, and pulled out a box.

"Ariadne, will you marry me?"

And of course, the answer was yes.

* * *

Cobb saw the engagement ring the next day at the warehouse.

"Congratulations, you two. I'm sure Arthur worked very hard on planning the proposal".

Later, Cobb would ask Arthur how exactly he proposed, but he had to put his thought away when Eames walked in and saw the ring on Ariadne's finger.

"Well, it looks like Arthur may have balls after all, darlings! Congrats, Ariadne, I don't know how you did it".


	5. Chapter 5

Ariadne was stressed; there was no doubt about it. It had been six months since Arthur had proposed to her, and their wedding was going to take place in another three.  
She had to balance both creating dreamscapes and coordinating a wedding at the same time. So it really should not have been a surprise to Arthur when he came back to their apartment one night and she was just sitting with her head on the kitchen table. Papers were strewn around everywhere; Arthur could see notes such as "call florist" and "talk to Cobb about dreamscape for job".

Arthur did not like to see Ariadne this way. It truly upset him, but he knew that there was not much he could do to help. She was extremely organized; and too stubborn headed to realize that she couldn't do it all alone. Still, she lay there with her head, not moving at all.  
Suddenly an idea stuck Arthur, and a sly smile stole onto his face.

He walked over to their CD rack, found their Dean Martin CD, and put it in the player. He skipped ahead to their favorite track, That's Amore. He then walked over to Ariadne, took both of her hands in his, and pulled her out of the chair.  
Together, they stepped over to the living room, and Arthur pulled her into a traditional dance position.  
One hand around her waist, the other clasped with her free hand, Arthur began to move them in time to the music.

"Arthur…what are you doing?"

"You, my dear, are in desperate need of stress relief. And since I know you won't take my offers of help with the wedding, this was the next best idea I had".

_When you walk in a dream, but you know you're not dreaming signore…scusa me, but you see, back in Old Napoli, that's amore…_

"I'm walking in a dream that we're not dreaming, Ariadne. You'd think that I'd be tired of dreaming after all the jobs I've done, but I promise you, this is a dream I'll never be tired of".

"Oh Arthur. You're overdoing it. I'm not that stressed".

"That's why you left work early and I found you with your head on the table?"

"That was…no caffeine...yeah".

"Mm-hmm. Ariadne, part of my job description is knowing details about people. And one of those details is telling when a person is lying. And guess what? You're lying".

Ariadne sighed. "You're right as usual Arthur. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to ask for help with the wedding- all of you guys should focus on the job, and I'm almost done the dreamscape for this job. I don't know who to turn to, that's all…"

They didn't notice that the music had switched to Everybody Loves Somebody now. It didn't matter, they just kept talking and dancing.

"Ariadne, to be honest, I miss you. You come to bed late, you wake up early, and you're constantly working. Do you realize that this dance is the most time we've spent together at home this week?"

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I'll try to let you help with the planning, alright? You can call the florist tomorrow".

Arthur smiled, and then said "That's my Ariadne. I love you".

"I love you too".

**A/N:** My god, this was not very good at all. One, I apologize for the delay in updating- school decided to get very crazy all of a sudden. Two, this was much better in my head. Review please, so that I can make it better.

Also, the next chapter is the wedding dance! I am open to suggestions as to what the song should be, though I do have one in mind. Let me know. Click the button…you know you want to.


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